To ask if you're unhappy at work

[L777]

I want to career change so I have a work life balance, I'm still fairly young.
I'm thinking accountant, mortgage advisor or recruitment consultant. If anyone has any of these roles, what salary do you earn and what hours do you work? / are you expected to do loads of overtime. Also put simply, are you happy and do you enjoy your job?
Thank you in advance!

Also any recommendations for a career change? Salary needs to be okay and work life balance not amazing, but not stupid hours

I can honestly say I no longer like my job. Since. we have been taken over by a bigger company sales targets have increased and the atmosphere is awful . I’d love to go back to care work but I’ve built my salary up over 23 years and the thought of taking a job with lower wages scares me a lot. I’m stuck firmly in a job I hate and everyday makes me so unhappy 🙁

@Wineisrequired wow that's sad. Hopefully you can find a new opportunity at a different workplace but within the same career soon?

Can't say accountant has no / limited overtime. I've done roles with 100hr weeks. In the last 12months I have done 400+ hrs over standard hours.

Do I like my job - yes when hours aren't extortionate. Sometimes it is really fun and challenging and I get to be creative. But there's always boring monthly, quarterly and annual accounts and budgeting to do. I was a tax accountant for nearly a decade and left that as the work got too repetitive for me.

I don't do any of those but I would say accountant would be your best bet.

Is accountant long hours though? I hate admin. Last two years has been photocopying and input purchase orders. Head melt. I need a change myself! Op school jobs perfect as school hours.

I’m an accountant, usually do 50 hours a week, sometimes more sometimes less. Salary depends on where you work. I work in a small practice in the North of England, starting salary is c£18k, newly qualified £27k manager £36k. You get paid more in a bigger firm and more again in industry (there are also big regional differences).

I do love my job, I speak to so many different people every day with all different types of businesses. If you are choosing a career for the salary, I wouldn’t be an accountant, the exams are really hard and the hours can be long.

Have you considered project management or procurement? My DH works in procurement and has consistently earned c25% more than me at every stage in his career (and the exams are easier).

I fucking HATE the company I work for. Its sexist, misogynistic, gross. BUT the perks are too good.

I'm a sell out

I am an accountant. The pay is ok but the hours I do are long so the pay per hour isn't actually that amazing. Exams are quite tough if doing them full time with work and the work can be boring. However, there are so many areas of work and different types of job roles, so it's fairly easy to move around or do something else if you don't like your particular area of finance.
I don't get much job satisfaction - mainly due to finance not being really appreciated area in the company I work. Support functions rarely get any recognition of a job well done and that can wear you down. I often daydream of a new career but the grass is always greener I suppose

@L777 I’m going to start serious updating my cv once the current lockdown ends . Not really sure I want to stay in sales but it’s hard to get out of as you can earn good money. Only I can sort this one out and I’m sure I will. I hope you find a lovely job as well .

I used to be a financial administrator, worked there from leaving school and built my salary up and was earning a great wage.

It was never my passion and I found it so boring but the money kept me (30k a year) as I didn't like the idea of 'starting at the bottom' on a low wage again.

But a couple of years ago I decided that I just couldn't see myself this bored in a job til retirement (i'm 34) and decided to make the jump.

I first went to work for an estate agents which I thought would be good, getting out and about meeting people showing them round homes etc, but it was awful. The 'sales' element was sould destroying for me, the targets were unrealistic and managers were on your back all the time. Your colleagues were against you as they wanted the commission and the targets so would well and truly do dirty on you. It was just horrendous so I left after 3 months.

I now work as a Veterinary care assistant after volunteering at my local vets whilst I was unemployed, I love what I do now it gives me great job satisfaction and is never boring BUT I am of course on minimum wage now which does get me down a bit because I can't afford the luxuries I was used to before.

Swings and roundabouts I guess.